Archives for August 2020

Colonial Pipeline continues to focus on our key priorities — protecting the safety of people and the environment.

Key activities at this time include:

• Colonial participated in the August 27 Community Meeting in Huntersville. Greg Glaze, Colonial Pipeline Southeast District Director of Operations and Incident Commander for the SR2448 Response, joined the meeting remotely on behalf of Colonial due to COVID-19 and Colonial’s on-going response to Hurricane Laura.
• The area around Line 1 was backfilled with clean soil after the repair was made on August 19. The repair was tested and monitored to ensure the safety of the pipeline.
• At this time, 23 residential water wells have been tested for petroleum products with zero detections of petroleum constituents. In alignment with NCDEQ guidance, and based on current data, Colonial will continue sampling residential water wells within 1,500 feet going forward. These results will be shared with individual landowners and NCDEQ.
• As part of Colonial’s ongoing site assessment and remediation activities, we are currently conducting multiple types of testing, including advancing soil borings to determine impacts to soil and installing groundwater monitoring wells to determine the nature and extent of groundwater impacts. In addition, we have installed four fixed recovery wells in close proximity to the site.
• As we continue our assessment process, to date, more than 100 soil borings have been taken.
• Soil is currently being removed from site and properly disposed. To date, Colonial has excavated approximately 780 tons of soil for off-site disposal.

In an ongoing effort to update the public of our response efforts and answer questions, Colonial is continuously adding to the FAQ section of our response site and posted additional Q&As today.

Colonial continues to work in cooperation with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) and Mecklenburg County agencies, as we keep safety and environmental protection at the forefront of our assessment and remediation activities.

According to the plan approved by Mecklenburg County Emergency Management, Huntersville-Concord Road re-opened to all traffic the morning of Monday, August 24, as scheduled.

Ongoing Remediation Efforts

To date, Colonial has excavated approximately 780 tons of soil for off-site disposal, installed more than 100 soil borings as part of the site delineation, installed groundwater monitoring wells and recovery product points, sampled surface water, and collected water samples from 17 residential water wells within a 2,000-feet radius of the release site.

At this time, all residential water wells tested have indicated “non-detect” for gasoline or dissolved-phase gasoline components.

Residential Well Sampling & Monitoring/Recovery Wells

We are currently conducting multiple types of well testing – one for residential wells and the other for borings/monitoring wells.  Soil borings are used as part of our assessment efforts to identify the location of product. Three borings where product was measured, have been converted to temporary product recovery wells.  The recovery wells are part of our ongoing investigatory and remediation activities in the area of the site and will be replaced with fixed recovery wells in the near future.  As an interim measure, vac trucks are being used to remove product.  The assessment is ongoing, and it is anticipated that additional recovery wells will be installed as part of a NCDEQ-approved remediation approach.

Colonial will continue to sample residential water wells within the 1,500-feet radius of the release site, under the direction of the NCDEQ, and will communicate results directly with these landowners. Results from the initial residential water well sampling are being hand delivered to these residents, and we have also shared these results with the NCDEQ.

Community Meeting

Colonial has also confirmed its participation in the August 27 Community Meeting in Huntersville. Greg Glaze, Colonial Pipeline Southeast District Director of Operations and Incident Commander for the SR2448 Response, will join the meeting remotely on behalf of Colonial due to COVID-19 and Colonial’s response to Hurricane Laura.

Rest assured, we have been in the Huntersville Community for more than fifty years and remain committed to our path of environmental remediation and keeping stakeholders informed.

According to the plan approved by Mecklenburg County Emergency Management, Huntersville-Concord Road re-opened to all traffic the morning of Monday, August 24, as scheduled. The road had been closed as part of Colonial Pipeline’s repair and remediation response, following a product release on Colonial’s gasoline pipeline near Huntersville-Concord Road between Lawther Road and Asbury Chapel Road.

Colonial Pipeline continues to work on site remediation while remaining focused on our key priorities — protecting the safety of people and the environment.

Colonial Pipeline continues to work on site remediation while remaining focused on our key priorities — protecting the safety of people and the environment.

On Friday, August 21, Huntersville Mayor John Aneralla conducted a Q&A session with experts from Mecklenburg County Emergency Management, North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) and Colonial Pipeline. Questions were submitted by residents to the Mayor’s office or Colonial Pipeline. The video can be viewed below as part of the ongoing communications efforts to keep residents informed.

https://vimeo.com/450519320

Huntersville-Concord Road is scheduled to reopen on Monday, August 24. Until the re-opening, the temporary traffic detour around the work site via Glendale Drive, Ramah Church Road and Hiwassee Road remains in effect.

Work teams continue to conduct ongoing environmental monitoring under the guidance of the NCDEQ.  Colonial will remain in the community as long as necessary to sample and test wells within a 2,000-foot radius of the product release, which exceeds the 1,500-foot requirement by NCDEQ. To date, tests have been conducted on 16 wells and no petroleum constituents have been detected. Colonial is sharing results with individual landowners. Colonial has also delivered more than 500 letters to residents near the release site, and responded to numerous phone calls, emails and web form submissions to keep residents updated on site remediation work.

We continue to provide updates through our response website at https://sr2448.colonialresponse.com   In response to inquiries from residents, we have updated the FAQ portion of the site with additional information. Residents are welcome to submit questions to Colonial through the site, and a Colonial representative will respond.

Colonial appreciates the ongoing support and open line of communication with local, state and federal agencies, including the Huntersville Fire and Police Departments, the City of Huntersville, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Stormwater Services, Charlotte Water, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management, Mecklenburg Public Health, Mecklenburg County Parks & Recreation, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, the North Carolina Emergency Management, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region IV.

We will continue to work together to ensure public safety and protection of the local environment.

The following summarizes and updates key response activities at this time:

• The leak is stopped and the vast majority of the release has been recovered, with recovery continuing.
• The pipeline has been restarted in accordance with Colonial’s operating procedures.
• Colonial continues to operate in an Incident Command System (ICS) to ensure a well-managed response, in conjunction with the support and collaboration from local response partners.
• A consistent open line of communication continues with local, state and federal agencies, including the Huntersville Fire and Police Departments, the City of Huntersville, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Stormwater Services, Charlotte Water, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management, Mecklenburg Public Health, Mecklenburg County Parks & Recreation, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, the North Carolina Emergency Management, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region IV.
• We are sharing environmental testing results with the United States Environmental Protection Agency, NC Department of Environmental Quality, and Mecklenburg County.
• Mecklenburg County Public Health has been updated on the situation and has stated they do not believe there is any threat to potable drinking water wells.
• Colonial has successfully implemented proactive measures to protect the closest surface waters, the North Prong of Clark Creek. These are precautionary measures and we continue to monitor the situation closely as we work with local and state resources. The creek is currently unaffected and is being closely monitored.
• Colonial continues to reach out to local landowners to provide information on our response efforts.

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UPDATE #6: Colonial Pipeline – SR2448 Response August 19, 2020 6:58PM

As of approximately 6 p.m., August 19, 2020, the pipeline has been repaired.

Colonial appreciates the patience of the community, and we assure you that our priorities — the safety of people and protection of the environment — remain the same as we move into ongoing monitoring and remediation.

Our ongoing environmental monitoring and remediation efforts will be conducted under the guidance of NCDEQ. Colonial will continue to sample and test wells within a 2,000-foot radius of the product release, and individual results will be shared with landowners.

Colonial has also been monitoring air quality around the site since the release and all results indicate air quality is safe for the public.  We are also actively removing soil that was impacted by the spill for proper disposal.

Colonial remains committed to communicating with concerned citizens, local leaders and regulatory agencies. We continue to provide updates through our response website at https://sr2448.colonialresponse.com.  Residents are welcome to submit questions to Colonial through the site, and a Colonial representative will respond.

Colonial will work with the City of Huntersville and the North Carolina Department of Transportation to re-open Huntersville-Concord Road as quickly as possible.  At this time, a section of the road remains closed as we allow crews continued safe access to the site.  We will update the community as more information becomes available.

A temporary traffic detour around the work site via Glendale Drive, Ramah Church Road and Hiwassee Road remains in effect. Colonial is working with local residents to maintain access to residences impacted by the road closure.

Colonial appreciates the ongoing support of the Huntersville Fire Department, the Huntersville Police Department, the City of Huntersville, Mecklenburg County, and other response partners as we work together to ensure public safety and protection of the local environment.

The following summarizes and updates key response activities at this time:

• The leak was stopped and the vast majority of the release has been recovered, with recovery continuing.
• The pipeline will be restarted in accordance with Colonial’s operating procedures over the next several hours.
• Colonial continues to operate in an Incident Command System (ICS) to ensure a well-managed response, in conjunction with the support and collaboration from local response partners.
• A consistent open line of communication continues with local, state and federal agencies including the Huntersville Fire and Police Departments, the City of Huntersville, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Stormwater Services, Charlotte Water, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management, Mecklenburg Public Health, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, the North Carolina Emergency Management, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region IV.
• We are sharing environmental testing results with the United States Environmental Protection Agency, NC Department of Environmental Quality, and Mecklenburg County.
• Mecklenburg County Public Health has been updated on the situation and has stated they do not believe there is any threat to potable drinking water wells.
• Colonial has successfully implemented proactive measures to protect the closest surface waters, the North Prong of Clark Creek. These are precautionary measures and we continue to monitor the situation closely as we work with local and state resources. The creek is currently unaffected and is being closely monitored.
• Colonial continues to reach out to local landowners to provide information on our response efforts.

About Colonial Pipeline:  Colonial Pipeline Company, founded in 1962, connects refineries ­– primarily located in the Gulf Coast ­– with customers and markets throughout the Southern and Eastern United States through a pipeline system that spans more than 5,500 miles. The company delivers refined petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, home heating oil, and fuel for the U.S. Military.  Colonial is committed to safety and environmental stewardship across its operations.  More information about Colonial is available at www.colpipe.com.

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